Everyday is A Thanksgiving day: Count your Blessings by Guest Contributor Elizabeth Nisperos

South San Francisco, CA  November 28, 2022 by Elizabeth Nisperos 

California  has water drought, but researchers said the pandemic has brought the world fun, cheer and joy droughts. Lack. Scarcity. Let’s get on the Abundance  train. Let’s get on the bus full of fun and thanks to start Advent to folks who are dwelling in darkness and spread light sparkles.  South City has a free shuttle bus; I’d always wanted to get a ride but never bothered to experience a free ride. Let the Council designate it as a Fun and Cheerful bus to get around South San Francisco.

Let’s make Everyday is A Thanksgiving  Day.

Only one leper who was healed out of ten came back to say Thank You to Jesus. “Where are the other nine?” Thanksgiving is a time to say thank you to all people who helped and served you all year through. I once read a story about a janitor who was cleaning athletes locker room and he never heard a thank you from players; it took 25 years that he heard a thank you from one athlete.

I remembered at work when I said “ Thank you for cleaning the restroom “:to the janitor and he said “I’ve been cleaning restrooms for 18 years, only about five people bother to say Thank you like you do. I said, “The restroom is the most important room in the entire building. I might miss the conference room, the audio visual room, the boss room, the lunch room, the cafe but your restroom is the one room I will not miss , so thank you. So, did you bother to say thank you to the person who cleans your restroom?

I always wonder why Evangelicals always say “Praise the Lord”. It’s because of Psalm 100. How do you enter Heaven’s courts? Even God who is credited to be the most powerful, creator of the entire universe wants to hear thanksgiving and praise;

Here is a clip of Psalm 100:4-5

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
 and his courts with praise;
 give thanks to him and praise his name.

5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Here is a challenge for you to do everyday ;

1. Say Thank you to three people everyday.
2. For your notebook or journal, list three things you’re grateful for everyday . This makes gratitude grow.
3. Give three compliments to people or objects(For example I compliment my orchids for blooming beautiful flowers, to my faucet for giving water, or to my toilet for flushing). You may compliment your cat or dog for keeping you company.

It may surprise you when you list what you’re grateful for or say thank you feel rich and happy even if you don’t have billions in the bank. 
Khalil Gibran poet of “The Prophet” wrote “Work is Love Made Visible”, this thanksgiving I’d like to rephrase it “Thanksgiving/Gratitude is Love Made Visible”. The food in your Thanksgiving table are made visible by several people, not only by your family in the table, but also the farmers, pickers, truckers, grocery staff, the energy provider (otherwise you don’t have light or energy to cook your food), the appliances maker, your employer, etc to make the celebration happen; we’re all interconnected.

I’m thankful to Kamala Silva, editor of ESC for allowing me to practice writing  and express my thoughts in her platform in South City.

Count your blessings instead of worries and problems.

Here are two songs for you to Count your blessings .

Guy Penrod- Count your Blessings  https://youtu.be/HBYTjNQ8ens

Scene from ‘White Christmas’ with Bing Crosby & Rosemary Clooney  – Count Your Blessings https://youtu.be/DXKxazgio2s

###

About Elizabeth Nisperos

Eliz Nisperos’ is a long-time resident of South San Francisco and a lover of the arts and is a regular contributor to Everything South City. A former Commissioner of our Cultural Arts Board, Nisperos’ love of beauty spans from the visual, written word, and song. She is an award-winning Calligraphist, among many other disciplined talents.